LaBoob
04-17-2008, 04:08 PM
Yum.
Since I've been posting here I've come across a lot of posts concerning intestinal health or intestinal problems. Working in the health food/vitamin industry for over 10 years, I've grown to appreciate the importance of a good colon cleanse, and advise anybody who is experiencing trouble with bloating, gas, constipation, bad breath or any other intestinal discomfort to explore colon cleansing in an effort to feel lighter, cleaner, more energetic, and better able to digest the nutrients in your food, as well as supplements.
***I want to make it clear that I am not a doctor, nor am I prescribing this regimen to anybody, I just want to share this cleanse program because I've refined it over the years and it's truly what works for me. People who choose to try it might need to adjust this program to suit their needs, their bodies, and their schedules. Please consult your doctor if you have any questions or concerns, or any health risks that you suspect might disable you from doing this cleanse.***
I like to do this when I have a week off of work to dedicate to the cleanse, so that I'm not trapped in my car or at work when I feel like I have to "go"... If you don't have a week, you might like to start your cleanse on a Friday afternoon so you have a whole weekend to see how your body reacts.
Start out slowly... The first few days can be intense. The regimen should start slowly and should increase in intensity at the pace with which you're most comfortable. For the last 2 or 3 days, depending on your comfort level, and at your convenience, you could enter a "go-big-or-go-home" phase - a more intense level of cleansing, if your body and schedule will allow it. It will take about a week after this for your body to return to normal... I've included some recommendations for an easy transition.
BUY:
Colon Clenz by Natural Balance - just one of many colon cleansing products, but my favorite because it's very effective and simple. I used to work for this company, but, don't worry, I'm not a shill... they laid me off. I still recommend it because I've tried a ton of them and have found that even though a lot of them contain similar ingredients just mixed up in a different way, they work completely differently. These products work by increasing peristalsis (the contractions made by your intestines that push your food through). It can be painful, it can be uncomfortable, but very much worth it to feel better after your cleanse is done.
One that I would avoid: Nature's Secret Ultimate Fiber... why? It's very violent, and very addicting (addicting as in you can't poop without taking it, or it takes a very long time for your body to return to normal).
Colon Clenz, or any colon cleansing product you choose (should contain one or more of the following: senna, cascara sagrada, rhubarb, butternut, all of which increase peristalsis... For someone who wants to avoid the increase of peristalsis, simply avoid these products) will be the main focus of your cleanse. These are the products you need to try on a day when you'll be home and near the bathroom, because you never know how your body is going to react.
You can also choose to take only this product... a LOT of people cleanse this way. I really do advise against it, as I've found that adding the following below make the results far less harsh, much more efficient, and make for a smoother transition when your cleanse is done.
psyllium husk - a powdered version, when mixed in with water, will expand in your intestines and act like a sponge, scrubbing your intestinal walls and absorbing tons of toxins and waste, expelling it from your body. Don't take at the same time as any vitamins or medications, as they will most likely become absorbed and passed through, or just might not be as powerful as they should.
ground flax seed - grittier than psyllium, it is also a scrubbing agent that can help extract excess waste from your intestines... Psyllium absorbs a lot of water, so it can make you feel more bloated and can move through kind of slowly... ground flax compliments the psyllium, allowing it to move through more quickly.
aloe juice - (optional) isn't very tasty, but helps to lubricate your intestines and helps move things through more quickly. It's also very soothing on an upset stomach, and your stomach might be less than comfortable throughout your cleanse.
Probiotics - Acidophilus and B.Lactis are my two favorites... and I am a BIG FAN of probiotics. Probiotics have been getting a lot of play in the media since mainstream America has discovered them. Yes, they're found in yogurt, but they're fragile, and aren't as potent when combined with sugar, so if you're eating Dannon Fruit at the Bottom thinking you're getting enough probiotics, I'm sorry, but you're wrong... at least not enough for this cleanse.
Probiotics are live "friendly" bacteria that feed on "bad" bacteria living in our intestines causing us all kinds of grief when they grow too large in number. I recommend buying the most potent probiotic supplement from a company you can trust. Most companies will claim the amount of probiotics in the bottle at the time of manufacture, but a GOOD company will guarantee that amount at the time of expiration, to account for the fact that these are living bacteria and will die. I LOVE Kal's Active Acidophilus because it contains Acidophilus and B. Lactis (one inhabits the upper intestine and one inhabits the lower, and together they work wonderfully to restore a proper balance of bacteria in your intestine). And, since I used to work for this company, I know they go above and beyond as far as quality. Don't take at the same time as an antibiotic, if you happen to be taking one at the time of this cleanse, as the antibiotic kills bacteria without considering whether it's a "good" or "bad" bacteria.
CLEANSE:
For the most part, follow the dosaging information on the packaging these products come in, as far as how MUCH to take. However, since most of these products are NOT designed to be taken during an intense, one-week cleanse, you might need to take them more than once a day in order to get your time and money's worth during the life of your cleanse.
Day 1 - Start with the recommended dosage of your colon cleansing product as well as 1 heaping tablespoon each of psyllium and flax meal mixed in water or juice. Drink 8 oz of aloe juice. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Take the recommended dosage of probiotics twice a day.
Day 2 - Do the same as the day before, except one more tablespoon of psyllium and flax in the evening, or before dinner. Drink 8-16 oz of aloe through the day, as well as tons of water. Take recommended dosage of probiotics twice a day.
Day 3 - Add one or two more capsules (depending on your comfort level) of colon cleansing product, do one tablespoon of each psyllium and flax meal in the morning and the evening, drink 8-16 oz of aloe juice, and drink tons of water. Take recommended dosage of probiotics twice a day.
Day 4 - Increase colon cleansing product by one or two more capsules (again, depending on what's working for you), do one tablespoon each of psyllium and flax meal in the morning and in the evening, drink 8-16 oz of aloe juice, and drink as much water as you can. Take recommended dosage of probiotics twice a day.
Days 5-7 - Either continue directions from Day 4, or enter "Go-big-or-go-home" phase... which really just consists of increasing your colon cleansing product (if your body and schedule will allow it), and continuing everything else at about the same pace as before. If you are up for it, increase the psyllium and flax to one more tablespoon of each somewhere in the middle of the day. Drink plenty of water! Take recommended dosage of probiotics twice a day.
FOLLOW-UP WEEK:
The objective of this week is to make the transition from stimulating your peristalsis to functioning as normally as possible, with a little help from some supplementation...
Days 1-3 - Discontinue use of colon cleansing product. Your digestion will slow and you'll find you won't go for a day or two... this is normal. Continue taking 1 tablespoon of psyllium and flax meal twice a day, along with plenty of water, and aloe juice. Continue taking recommended dosage of probiotics, but you can increase it to 3 times a day if you find you're not poo-ing.
Days 4-6 - Cut down your psyllium and flax meal to 1 tablespoon in the morning. You can discontinue drinking aloe juice. Continue taking the probiotic 2-3 times a day.
Day 7 - Eliminate all supplements, except the probiotic. Continue taking this until the bottle runs out, and then consider buying another bottle and taking it on a regular basis. It's one of the best things you can take for overall health, but mostly intestinal health.
TIPS:
-Throughout the entire week, keep your diet light. Eat light salads, some fish here and there, some cereal, and soups. Nothing there really requires any heavy lifting on the part of your stomach, and most of it will be easily digested.
-Consider taking a digestive enzyme with meals during this cleanse as well as after you're done. They assist in your body's ability to break down your food, as well as absorb nutrients from it.
-NOTHING IN THIS CLEANSE IS WRITTEN IN STONE... I don't follow this cleanse very strictly... it's just my guideline. If you find you simply cannot stomach taking that psyllium/flax twice a day, just do it once.
-Cleanse your colon again in about 6 months and continue to do it every 6 months, or, if you really hated this cleanse, consider doing it just once a year for a Spring cleaning. After 10 years of colon cleansing, my body tells me when I need to cleanse by making me feel sluggish and tired, sickly or weak, or always hungry. I will also cleanse when my life feels particularly out of control because getting your gut in order goes a LONG way in making you feel better in other areas of your life.
-Never take a colon cleansing product for more than 3 weeks. Your body can become dependant on it and you'll find you have a harder and harder time returning to normal.
PM me with any questions... I'm more than happy to answer any of them. I sincerely wish you all the best of health!
:happy:
Since I've been posting here I've come across a lot of posts concerning intestinal health or intestinal problems. Working in the health food/vitamin industry for over 10 years, I've grown to appreciate the importance of a good colon cleanse, and advise anybody who is experiencing trouble with bloating, gas, constipation, bad breath or any other intestinal discomfort to explore colon cleansing in an effort to feel lighter, cleaner, more energetic, and better able to digest the nutrients in your food, as well as supplements.
***I want to make it clear that I am not a doctor, nor am I prescribing this regimen to anybody, I just want to share this cleanse program because I've refined it over the years and it's truly what works for me. People who choose to try it might need to adjust this program to suit their needs, their bodies, and their schedules. Please consult your doctor if you have any questions or concerns, or any health risks that you suspect might disable you from doing this cleanse.***
I like to do this when I have a week off of work to dedicate to the cleanse, so that I'm not trapped in my car or at work when I feel like I have to "go"... If you don't have a week, you might like to start your cleanse on a Friday afternoon so you have a whole weekend to see how your body reacts.
Start out slowly... The first few days can be intense. The regimen should start slowly and should increase in intensity at the pace with which you're most comfortable. For the last 2 or 3 days, depending on your comfort level, and at your convenience, you could enter a "go-big-or-go-home" phase - a more intense level of cleansing, if your body and schedule will allow it. It will take about a week after this for your body to return to normal... I've included some recommendations for an easy transition.
BUY:
Colon Clenz by Natural Balance - just one of many colon cleansing products, but my favorite because it's very effective and simple. I used to work for this company, but, don't worry, I'm not a shill... they laid me off. I still recommend it because I've tried a ton of them and have found that even though a lot of them contain similar ingredients just mixed up in a different way, they work completely differently. These products work by increasing peristalsis (the contractions made by your intestines that push your food through). It can be painful, it can be uncomfortable, but very much worth it to feel better after your cleanse is done.
One that I would avoid: Nature's Secret Ultimate Fiber... why? It's very violent, and very addicting (addicting as in you can't poop without taking it, or it takes a very long time for your body to return to normal).
Colon Clenz, or any colon cleansing product you choose (should contain one or more of the following: senna, cascara sagrada, rhubarb, butternut, all of which increase peristalsis... For someone who wants to avoid the increase of peristalsis, simply avoid these products) will be the main focus of your cleanse. These are the products you need to try on a day when you'll be home and near the bathroom, because you never know how your body is going to react.
You can also choose to take only this product... a LOT of people cleanse this way. I really do advise against it, as I've found that adding the following below make the results far less harsh, much more efficient, and make for a smoother transition when your cleanse is done.
psyllium husk - a powdered version, when mixed in with water, will expand in your intestines and act like a sponge, scrubbing your intestinal walls and absorbing tons of toxins and waste, expelling it from your body. Don't take at the same time as any vitamins or medications, as they will most likely become absorbed and passed through, or just might not be as powerful as they should.
ground flax seed - grittier than psyllium, it is also a scrubbing agent that can help extract excess waste from your intestines... Psyllium absorbs a lot of water, so it can make you feel more bloated and can move through kind of slowly... ground flax compliments the psyllium, allowing it to move through more quickly.
aloe juice - (optional) isn't very tasty, but helps to lubricate your intestines and helps move things through more quickly. It's also very soothing on an upset stomach, and your stomach might be less than comfortable throughout your cleanse.
Probiotics - Acidophilus and B.Lactis are my two favorites... and I am a BIG FAN of probiotics. Probiotics have been getting a lot of play in the media since mainstream America has discovered them. Yes, they're found in yogurt, but they're fragile, and aren't as potent when combined with sugar, so if you're eating Dannon Fruit at the Bottom thinking you're getting enough probiotics, I'm sorry, but you're wrong... at least not enough for this cleanse.
Probiotics are live "friendly" bacteria that feed on "bad" bacteria living in our intestines causing us all kinds of grief when they grow too large in number. I recommend buying the most potent probiotic supplement from a company you can trust. Most companies will claim the amount of probiotics in the bottle at the time of manufacture, but a GOOD company will guarantee that amount at the time of expiration, to account for the fact that these are living bacteria and will die. I LOVE Kal's Active Acidophilus because it contains Acidophilus and B. Lactis (one inhabits the upper intestine and one inhabits the lower, and together they work wonderfully to restore a proper balance of bacteria in your intestine). And, since I used to work for this company, I know they go above and beyond as far as quality. Don't take at the same time as an antibiotic, if you happen to be taking one at the time of this cleanse, as the antibiotic kills bacteria without considering whether it's a "good" or "bad" bacteria.
CLEANSE:
For the most part, follow the dosaging information on the packaging these products come in, as far as how MUCH to take. However, since most of these products are NOT designed to be taken during an intense, one-week cleanse, you might need to take them more than once a day in order to get your time and money's worth during the life of your cleanse.
Day 1 - Start with the recommended dosage of your colon cleansing product as well as 1 heaping tablespoon each of psyllium and flax meal mixed in water or juice. Drink 8 oz of aloe juice. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Take the recommended dosage of probiotics twice a day.
Day 2 - Do the same as the day before, except one more tablespoon of psyllium and flax in the evening, or before dinner. Drink 8-16 oz of aloe through the day, as well as tons of water. Take recommended dosage of probiotics twice a day.
Day 3 - Add one or two more capsules (depending on your comfort level) of colon cleansing product, do one tablespoon of each psyllium and flax meal in the morning and the evening, drink 8-16 oz of aloe juice, and drink tons of water. Take recommended dosage of probiotics twice a day.
Day 4 - Increase colon cleansing product by one or two more capsules (again, depending on what's working for you), do one tablespoon each of psyllium and flax meal in the morning and in the evening, drink 8-16 oz of aloe juice, and drink as much water as you can. Take recommended dosage of probiotics twice a day.
Days 5-7 - Either continue directions from Day 4, or enter "Go-big-or-go-home" phase... which really just consists of increasing your colon cleansing product (if your body and schedule will allow it), and continuing everything else at about the same pace as before. If you are up for it, increase the psyllium and flax to one more tablespoon of each somewhere in the middle of the day. Drink plenty of water! Take recommended dosage of probiotics twice a day.
FOLLOW-UP WEEK:
The objective of this week is to make the transition from stimulating your peristalsis to functioning as normally as possible, with a little help from some supplementation...
Days 1-3 - Discontinue use of colon cleansing product. Your digestion will slow and you'll find you won't go for a day or two... this is normal. Continue taking 1 tablespoon of psyllium and flax meal twice a day, along with plenty of water, and aloe juice. Continue taking recommended dosage of probiotics, but you can increase it to 3 times a day if you find you're not poo-ing.
Days 4-6 - Cut down your psyllium and flax meal to 1 tablespoon in the morning. You can discontinue drinking aloe juice. Continue taking the probiotic 2-3 times a day.
Day 7 - Eliminate all supplements, except the probiotic. Continue taking this until the bottle runs out, and then consider buying another bottle and taking it on a regular basis. It's one of the best things you can take for overall health, but mostly intestinal health.
TIPS:
-Throughout the entire week, keep your diet light. Eat light salads, some fish here and there, some cereal, and soups. Nothing there really requires any heavy lifting on the part of your stomach, and most of it will be easily digested.
-Consider taking a digestive enzyme with meals during this cleanse as well as after you're done. They assist in your body's ability to break down your food, as well as absorb nutrients from it.
-NOTHING IN THIS CLEANSE IS WRITTEN IN STONE... I don't follow this cleanse very strictly... it's just my guideline. If you find you simply cannot stomach taking that psyllium/flax twice a day, just do it once.
-Cleanse your colon again in about 6 months and continue to do it every 6 months, or, if you really hated this cleanse, consider doing it just once a year for a Spring cleaning. After 10 years of colon cleansing, my body tells me when I need to cleanse by making me feel sluggish and tired, sickly or weak, or always hungry. I will also cleanse when my life feels particularly out of control because getting your gut in order goes a LONG way in making you feel better in other areas of your life.
-Never take a colon cleansing product for more than 3 weeks. Your body can become dependant on it and you'll find you have a harder and harder time returning to normal.
PM me with any questions... I'm more than happy to answer any of them. I sincerely wish you all the best of health!
:happy: